Mail box



|-:. POPP MAIL BOX March 12, 1940.

Filed May 9, 1939 Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES OFFICE j MAIL BOX I Edward Popp, El Gampo, Tex. Application May 9, 1939,,Serial No." 272,686 I TClaims. (oil 232-39) This invention relatesto a mail box, and it is primarily an object of the invention to provide a box supported for swinging movement so that I said box in one of its positions serves togive 5 notice that mail has been left by the postman.

It is also an object of the invention to providea box of this kind mounted for swinging movement, together with meansfor holding said box in one position and automaticallymoving- 10 the box to a second position after the holding means has been made efiectiver The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement-of the several parts of my improved mail 16 box wherebytcertain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simplerpless expensive and :otherwise .more convenient and advantageous for use, as will. be hereinafter more fully set forth. v. 20 The novel features of my invention will hereinafterbejdefinitelyjclaimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the Figure 4 is a sectional View taken substantially on 'th-lineA-d of Figure 3.

'3 As disclosed in the accompanying drawing,

denotes a post or other support adapted tobe positioned at the roadside and bolted, as at I, or otherwise suitably secured to the post P} at the upper end portion thereof is a bracket B including a pair of vertically spaced and overlying plates 2. these plates 2 and bridgingthe space therebetween is a shaft 3. This shaft 3 extends above the top plate 2 and is continued'by a substantially as perpendicularly related elongated arm 4 which is riveted, as at 5, or otherwisesecurely' fastened to the bottom Wall of the mail box M. This box M maybe of such size or style desired provided .it includes an upwardly swinging closure mem-' 5 ber or door C.- The arm 4 atdesired points spaced lengthwise thereof carries the depending loops 6 to providea holding means for a depending frame F. This frame F-includes a rear vertical member comprising spaced elongated arms 1 having their upper extremities connected, as. at

Rotatably disposed through 8, said portion 8 being: through the rear loop 6., The lowerendportion of each of these arms .l is suitably secured to one of the side arms 9 comprised in-an upwardly and outwardly inclined bottom member of the frame F. The 5 forward end portion of each of these arms 9 is continued by'aniupwardly disposed armlil having its upper portionfconnected with the correspondingenclof the second arm I8 bythe inter,- mediate member-H. ,This'member II is engaged 10 through. the forward loop}. The lower end portions of the arms I also have suitably secured thereto the rearwardly directed parallel arms l2, the outer ends 'ofwhich are connected and formed, as at M, to provide a bearing through 16 d which the lower portion ofv theshaft 3 is directed. Held to the shaft 3;by;a',set screw IE or the like a collarlfi. and interposed betweenthe collar, l5 and the top plate 2 of the bracket B j is a coil spring ll surrounding the shaft 3. One 20 end portion-of this spring I! has an extending arm I8 whichengages the set screw l5 while the opposite endportion of y the spring llhas an extending arm lfi which is connected to the top plate 2. This spring l 'l,pro videsmeans whereby the shaft 3 maybecaused' to rotate in a direction to swingthe mail box M from one position to another. 1 y v The upper portions of the arms"! carry a bolt .20 or thelikebridgingthe space therebetween and, as herein disclosed, said bolt 28 between the arms 1 has freely mounted thereon ananti-friction sleeve 2i, Extending between the arms 1 above the bolt 2!] and contacting from above with the sleeve zlis; an-, elongated latchbar or plunger 22 ;This bar or plunger 22is'of a length to extend through thearms H) to a desired distance forwardly of the framejF and the under portion ofthe bar or plunger 22 at the forward portionthereof is provi dedlvs rith a notch or recess U .-23in which engagesam upstanding tail piece 2 3 carried by titrepivoted end portion of the upwardly facing hook member25. Thishook member 25 extends between. the arms l0 and is piv otally held thereto by the pivot bolt 26 or the The barrorplunger 22' constantly urged rear wardly by the spring memberZl, one end portion of which is anchored, as-at 28,. between the arms 9 whilethe-ppposite or upper end portion is suitably, connected, as at; 29; to the baror plunger 22, spring 21 servestomaintain the inner .or free. end of the bar or-plunger 22 within the holding notch 30 providedat the transverse cen--.

ter of the outer marginalportion of the upper plate 2 and which margin a is disposed on a curvature substantially concentric to the shaft 3.

The bar or plunger 22 is of such length that when the rear or inner end portion thereof is seated within the notch 30 the forward or outer end portion thereof will be slightly in advance of the box M. This outer end portion of the bar or plunger 22 at a desired distance inwardly thereof is formed to provide an inwardly facing shoulder 3|.

As herein disclosed, the closure member or door C has its lower end portion pivotally mounted, as at 32, on the mail box M at a point below the bottom thereof whereby the closure member or door C in its opening movement swings downwardly. The lower or pivoted end portion of this closure member or door C directly above the bar or plunger 22 carries a downwardly and for wardly inclined lug 33 which, when the closure member or door C is closed and the bar or plunger 22 engaged within the notch 30, contacts from above with the bar or plunger 22 in advance of the shoulder 3 l Under these conditions the mail box M preferably has its longitudinal axis disposed toward the roadway although I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself in this particular respect. urges the outer end. of the bar or plunger 22 upwardly thus assuring propereifective coaction between the lug 33 and the shoulder 3|.

When mail is to be placed into the box M by the postman he swings the closure member or door C downwardly as indicated by broken lines in Figure 3 whereupon the lug 33 will swing into a position inwardly of the shoulder 3|. After the mail has been placed within the box M the postman swings the closure member or door C upwardly into closed position and during this movement the lug 33 will contact with the shou1- der 3! and move the plunger or bar 22 forwardly a distance sufficiently to release the inner end portion of the bar or plunger 22 from the notch' 30 whereupon the box M under the action of the spring 11 will be automatically moved or turned to a position substantially at right angles to its first or locked position. When'in this second position suitable notice is given and particularly to a person at a distance that mail has been delivered.

In the event a package or other article isto be delivered and cannot be placed within the box M, such package is suspended upon the hook member 25. This will also result'in a forward movement of the bar or plunger 22 suflicient to release the same from the top plate 2 so that the box M may have the desired swinging movement to its second position.

It is to be noted that the bar or plunger 22 is so mounted as to have its outer end portion readily depressed when desired. This is of advantage as it allowsthe householder to readily reset the mail box M in its locked positionafter collecting the mail or after placing mail within the box for collection by the postman.

In order that a child may readily place mail within the box M or remove the same therefrom, I find it of advantage to provide the post P with a suitably positioned platform 34. I find itof advantage to apply to the opposite sides of the frame F the closing walls 35, preferably of sheet metal, and which are connected at their inner ends by the intermediate plate 36 whereby the shaft 3 andthe spring I! thereon are effectively housed.

From the foregoing description it is thought The spring 21 also constantly to be obvious that a mail box constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and 0perated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

. In combination with a support, a receptacle having a movable door, means for mounting the receptacle upon the support for swinging movement, a bar operatively carried by the receptacle for endwise movement toward or from the support, means for constantly urging the bar toward the support and also to urge the outer end portion of the bar toward the receptacle, a holding member on the support engaged by the inner end portion of the bar when the receptacle is in one position, the outer end portion of the bar having an inwardly facing shoulder, and a lug carried by the door, said lug when the door is open extending rearwardly or the shoulder, said lug during the closing movement of the door contacting with the shoulder to move the bar free of the holding member to allow the receptacle to swing to a second position.

2. In combination with a support, a receptacle having a movable, door, means for mounting the receptacle uponthe support for swinging movement, a frame carried by and movable with the receptacle, an endwise movable barhaving one end portion supported by the frame, a spring coacting with the opposite end portion of the bar to provide further support therefor and to constantly urge the bar toward the support, a holding member carried by the support with which the bar engages when the receptacle is in one position, and coacting means carried by the door of the receptacle and the bar to release the bar from the holding member when the door is moved into closed .position to allow the receptacle to swing'to a second position.

3. In combination with a support, a receptacle having a movable door, means for mounting the receptacle 'upon the support for swinging movement, a frame carried by and movable with the receptacle, an endwise movable bar havingione end portion supported by the frame, a spring coacting with the opposite end portion of the bar to provide further support thereof and :to constantly urge the bar toward the support, a holding, member carried by the support with which the-bar engages when the receptacle is in one position, yieldable means for maintaining the bar in such positionjand a hook member pivotally engaged with the frame and having a tail piece engaging the bar'to move the barinto released position upon movement of the hook memberunder the influence of a load imposed thereon.

,4. In combination with a support, a receptacle having a movable door,'means for mounting the receptacleuponthe support for swinging movemerit, a frame carried "by and movable with the receptacle, an endwise movable bar having one end portion supported by the frame,"a spring-co- 'I III tion, and means to release the bar from the holding member when the door is moved into closed position to allow the receptacle to swing to its second position.

5. In combination With-a support, a receptacle having a movable door, means for mounting the receptacle upon the support for swinging movement, a frame carried by and movable with the receptacle, an endwise movable bar having one end portion supported by the frame, a spring coacting with the opposite end portion of the bar to provide further support therefor and to constantly urge the bar toward the support, a holding member carried by the support with which the bar engages when the receptacle is in one position, means to release the bar from the holding member when the door is moved into closed position to allow the receptacle to swing to its second position, and means for swinging the receptacle to said second position.

6. In combination, a receptacle having a movable door, means carried by the receptacle for mounting the same for swinging movement, a bar operatively carried by the receptacle for endwise movement and for swinging movement toward or from the receptacle, a holding member for positioning adjacent to the receptacle for engage ment by an end portion of the bar when the receptacle is in one position, means for yieldingly supporting the opposite end portion of the bar and for urging said bar in a direction toward the holding member and also in a direction toward the receptacle, the second end portion oi the bar having an inwardly facing shoulder, and a lug carried by the door, said lug when the door is opened extending rearwardly of the shoulder, said lug during the closing movement of the door contacting with the shoulder to move the bar free of the holding member to allow the receptacle to swing.

'7. In combination, a receptacle having a movable door, means for mounting the receptacle for swinging movement, a frame carried by and movable wlth the receptacle, an endwise movable bar cperatively engaged with the frame, a spring coacting with the bar and frame for constantly urging the bar in one direction and for urging the bar toward the receptacle, a holding member to EDWARD POPP. 

